Optical Migraine - Some Facts and Remedies

2011-02-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Optical Migraine - Some Facts and remedies. The purpose of this blog is to cover the topic of optical migraine in particular and migraine in general, ranging from causes, symptoms, treatments and remedies.

What is an optical migraine?

For many of us headaches are normal occurrences during the span of our lives. We experience headaches that come and go and are often so severe that our daily routines are affected. And for some of us these headaches are a step beyond the 'normality' of headaches, when they occur with some form of visual changes. If that is the case then you are most likely suffering from a migraine.

A typical migraine is:

A recurrent type of headache
It is severely painful
Usually occurs only on one side of the head
An aura occurs right before one of these attacks

As opposed to a regular migraine, an optical migraine also involves an aura that comes before a migraine attack and normally without pain. The visual disturbances that are experienced are flashing lights that look like zigzag or lightning bolts. Attacks like these last for several minutes to almost an hour. If it comes with a headache, then the pain will follow shortly after the visual aura is diminished. An optical migraine can also be experienced as a blind spot in the field of vision.

Visual Migraine

2010-02-21T02:08:00.001-08:00

Some people with visual impairments get blurred vision, and much worse, visual migraine: a condition that deals with altered vision. In visual migraine there is a temporary visual disturbance caused by a vascular spasm in the brain, usually accompanied by headache. This vascular spasm occurs when there is a decrease of blood flow to the occipital cortex , or the part of the brain related to vision. Visual migraine is usually caused by stress and prolonged periods of exposure to bright lights.

Symptoms of visual migraine may include among other:

seeing a shimmering light
distorted or blurred vision
pulsating and flashing lights

The headache experienced with this kind of migraine can be excruciating. Nausea and vomiting are also experienced during a visual migraine attack. A typical attack of visual migraine lasts for 15-20 minutes before fading away.

Causes of Migraine

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Although causes of migraine are not always certain, there have been theories that these headaches are caused by allergies, temporary edema of the brain and even endocrine disturbances. It is due to disturbance in the blood circulation in the brain. The pain is associated with the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain followed by dilation. The trigger for one of these painful attacks seems to vary from person to person.

Some factors that may be causes of migraine include:

alcohol
stress
hunger
premenstrual changes

It's also possible that eating certain foods, including milk, red wine, some cheese, and chocolate can also be among causes of migraine. Exposure to direct sunlight or even exercise has also been known to cause optical migraines.

Who is more likely to get an optical migraine?

Optical migraines are usually experienced by more women than men at a ratio of 3:1. This is an illness that is usually inherited.

Ophthalmic Migraine

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Some one who suffers from ophthalmic migraine normally experiences visual symptoms of seeing bright flashes. These flashes may be associated with flashing light sensations and sometimes can interfere with vision. Sometimes, there can be a headache after the visual symptoms fade. This is known as Ophthalmic Migraine.

The cause of this kind of migraine is due to a temporary spasm in the blood vessels behind the eye called vasospasm. Usually, this resolves without treatment and many people never have another episode. Some people may continue to have them. An examination of the eye is important to rule out any other causes for these symptoms.

Non Medical Treatment for Chronic Migraine

2010-02-20T21:19:00.001-08:00

There are many non medical treatments for chronic migraine. Most of them can be use with or without medical treatments. The most common non-medical treatments for chronic migraine are listed below.

Physical therapy

In physical therapy, a patient works together with a therapist to help identify and change physical habits or conditions that affect chronic headaches.

Acupuncture

Another non-medicinal treatment, which doesn’t require at-home exercises, is acupuncture. Acupuncture involves an acupuncturist picking particular points on the body to insert acupuncture needles.

Relaxation training

Relaxation training helps to reduce internal tension, allowing a person to control headaches triggered by stress. The different relaxation methods are normally taught by a psychologist or a therapist.

Physical relaxation methods

Physical relaxation methods involve actual body movement or action. Two most common physical relaxation methods are progressive muscle relaxation and deep breathing.

Changes in diet

Many physicians also recommend changes in diet to treat chronic headaches. Some of the foods and beverages that chronic headache sufferers are advised to avoid include caffeinated beverages, chocolate, processed meats, cheese and fermented dairy products, fresh yeast-risen baked goods, nuts, and alcohol as well as certain fruits and vegetables.

Ocular Migraine - How it Relates to Optical Migraine?

2010-02-20T21:13:00.000-08:00

The visual symptoms of ocular migraine and common migraines aura are identical:

zigzagging patterns in front of eyes
bright flashes of light
shimmering spot or stars
visual dark spots

While an ocular migraine may last no longer than five minutes and without headache, a common migraines aura may last 20 minutes and results in a painful headache, sensitivity to light and vomiting.

One way to test for ocular migraine is to cover one eye. If the symptoms continue, cover the other eye. If the symptoms stop, the ocular migraine is the probable cause. If the symptoms continue after both eyes are tested, a traditional migraines aura is probably the culprit.

Vision Migraine - The Difference

2010-02-20T21:12:00.000-08:00

In case of migraine causing visionary impairment, the source of problem or disturbance is the brain. On the other hand, in case of optical migraine the retinal blood vessels cause all the problems. According to eye specialists, the problem lies in the brain and not in the eyesight.

Forehead, temples, ear, jaw and areas around the eye are the specific points where a patient can easily feel the pain of vision migraine. This particular migraine variety starts at one particular point and then spreads to all directions. The pain is almost always unbearable and can disrupt the normal flow of life.

Eye Migraine - Types

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One of the most common triggering factors of migraines is eye problems. The eyes have blood vessels directly going towards the brain. There are different kinds of eye migraines, including: ocular migraines, the acephalgic migraine, and the ophthalmoplegic migraines.

Some common causes of eye migraine:

change in sleep pattern
foods that include monosodium glutamate
odor
prolonged use of medications
alcohol consumption
chocolates
changes in the hormones

Symptoms of eye migraine:

vomiting and nausea
extreme sensitivity to sound and light
heart attack and stroke
dizziness and weakness of the muscles
appearance of flashing zigzag shapes in front of the eyes

Migraine Cure and Remedies

2010-02-20T21:10:00.000-08:00

Following is a list of the most common migraine cure and remedies.

medication
hot tea
soothing music
sleep
deep breathing
cold compress
hot compress
cold shower
hot shower
back massage
temples massage
drink water

Common Treatment for Migraines

2010-02-20T21:09:00.000-08:00

Treatment for an optical migraine can take several forms.

Many people find it's helpful to lie in a dark, quiet room until their symptoms start to fade.
It can also help to immediately take an over the counter pain killer like aspirin as soon as a person feels the optical migraine starting, although this does not always help and sometimes more powerful pain killers are necessary.

Migraines Symptoms

2010-02-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Typical migraine symptoms involve the appearance of an aura before the start of the migraine attack. The primary difference between an optical migraine and a typical migraine is that generally in optical migraines no pain is initially experienced.

Migraine attacks normally comes with a few or all of the following symptoms:

dizziness
vomiting
nausea
double vision
blurry vision